This is a blog about a father's attempts to be useful to his thirteen-year-old son who has an autism diagnosis.
- Siamo tutti autisti

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Looking Good

We have been told many good things about MK's new teacher, but we have never actually met him, so we have our fingers crossed. There was also the possibility that he might have fallen under a bus over the summer holidays, to be replaced by some unthinking, unfeeling schoolmarm. That has not happened. And while MK only met with his teacher briefly today, he is off to a very good start -- he asked MK to help as a math tutor for kids who find math difficult. MK came back bursting with pride, which is an excellent way to start a school year.

I'm glad to hear that.Low expectations seem to be a common practice in education when it comes to autistic kids -- we too are starting to face that challenge with our son, and he's still in kindergarten...

It is gratifying to see males in elementary education. In my neck of the woods they are in very short supply. I think that although my son relates to all adults well, he does better in some ways with a male role model.

Yeah, it's kind of a shame that there aren't more male teachers in the lower grades. Our school has one male aide (not MK's) and that is another area where male role models could be really helpful for boys.

"While I was sitting one night with a poet friend watching a great opera performed in a tent under arc lights, the poet took my arm and pointed silently. Far up, blundering out of the night, a huge Cecropia moth swept past from light to light over the posturings of the actors. “He doesn’t know,” my friend whispered excitedly. “He’s passing through an alien universe brightly lit but invisible to him. He’s in another play; he doesn’t see us. He doesn’t know. Maybe it’s happening right now to us.”